Singled Out
by CleopatraTheSeventh
Summary: Casey Cooke is trying to enjoy her life after high school; the highlight of her week is giving tours to Hedwig and Dr. Fletcher. When she learns about everyone else in Hedwig's head, she tries to understand, and accepts them. She learns that Barry and Dennis want to give Kevin a shot at a normal life, so they seek help from Dr. Staple, with surprising results.
1. Not Who I Thought He Was

Chapter 1: Not Who I Thought He Was

"Hey, Cooke! Your _boyfriend_ is here to see you!"

Casey's head jerked up as the voice, which was sing-songy and full of amusement, reached her over the gentle babble of the customers milling around in front of her. Her eyes found her coworker, Marcia, who was smirking at her from near the lobster tank. Marcia raised her eyebrows and tipped her head towards the hallway, where two people that Casey had become familiar with slowly making their way through the crowd.

It had taken years of patience and strength for Casey to get to where she was now. Sometimes she hardly recognized herself; where once she had been sullen and withdrawn, the troublemaker in any class without friends, she had now managed to blossom. High school was done, she was free of the shadows that had previously strangled her growth, and she was reveling in it. She had a job that she enjoyed at the Adventure Aquarium, and she'd become good with people. People seemed to _like_ her, and any tours that she led always had people chuckling and smiling.

Of course, she still wore layers, like the long sleeved black shirt that was under her bright blue official aquarium polo, and chose to wear full length khaki pants rather than the shorts that Marcia always wore. Marcia could bare her long, olive legs all that she wanted; Casey was still happier with less exposed. People didn't need to see her scars or wonder at her past.

You can grow and bloom, reaching to the sky and the sun, but the soil that you stretched away from will never let you truly fly. Casey had found this to be true, but she was determined to grow as high and as far from her past as she could. She tried to see the beauty in the world.

So, she worked at the aquarium in Philadelphia. She hoped to leave the city some day, but now that her uncle was out of the picture, she was set on exploring and enjoying the things she'd never experienced before.

Her uncle…

Casey gave herself a mental shake. She wasn't going to think about him. Instead, she took a few steps through the throng of people struggling to see the giant blue lobsters to join Marcia. Her visitors were taking their time walking, absorbing the sights, and hadn't managed to spot her yet. It was a crowded Saturday, and the room was teeming with adults and children.

Marcia was smirking at her. "So, what, he comes like… every weekend, just to get a special tour from you?"

Casey rolled her eyes at her. "Be nice. He's sweet, and I don't mind. Passes the time. I'd rather give him a tour than a group of screaming kids."

"Or a group of greasy teens who just want to ogle." Marcia supplied, wrinkling her nose at the memory of a group she'd shown around the tanks last week. "Ugh, all they did was make stupid jokes. 'I'd dive in her ocean.' Like, dude, not funny."

Her two visitors had spotted her, and the man was waiving frantically, jumping up and down a bit to get Casey's attention. The white haired lady with him was smiling warmly at her.

"See you in a bit!" Casey said to Marcia, then she made her way over to the pair before the man completely lost it.

"CASEY!" The man roared when she got near.

"Hi, Hedwig, Dr. Fletcher! It's so nice to see you both today!" Casey smiled warmly at them.

Hedwig was a grown man on the outside, and a nine year old boy on the inside. Casey thought that he was probably an average height, but he rarely stood still long enough for her to evaluate. He preferred to wear track suits (today's was yellow and blue; bright and happy colors that matched his personality). His bright blue eyes shone with joy at seeing her, and she resisted the urge to ruffle his close cropped hair. It was hard not to smile at the overgrown child when he fixed you in one of the rays of his sunshine.

With him, as always, was his escort, Dr. Fletcher. She was an older woman, always dressed sensibly. She had eyes that twinkled at Hedwig and Casey benevolently, and she seemed to genuinely enjoy taking the boy out. Casey had never heard her raise her voice to Hedwig, and he listened to her, clearly on his best behavior.

They had started coming to the aquarium regularly about two months prior; the doctor had requested a tour guide, and Casey happened to be the closest available employee, so she had gotten the job of introducing the pair to the marine life. Dr. Fletcher and Hedwig came back every weekend after, and usually requested Casey, content to wait and look at the glimmering tanks until she was free. Casey's boss had reminded her that if she ever felt uncomfortable, she was to tell him immediately, but Casey didn't mind. Hedwig was so carefree in a way that Casey had never managed to be, and Dr. Fletcher was warm. Casey genuinely enjoyed the time she spent with them every week, even if it was repetitive.

"How are you, Casey? Do you have the time to take us around?" Dr. Fletcher asked smoothly, eyes bouncing around the crowded room.

"For you guys? Of course I have the time, although I don't think you really need me at this point… Hedwig knows more about this aquarium than I do!" Casey replied, smiling at Hedwig.

"Nuh-uh!" Hedwig said, blushing and grinning at once. "C'mon, let's go!" He was practically vibrating on the spot, excited to go.

Casey sent a backwards glance and a small wave over her shoulder to Marcia, who was still watching from her spot against the wall. Marcia wiggled her eyebrows and raised a hand in response.

The next hour progressed pleasantly, with Casey leading Hedwig and Dr. Fletcher around, offering tidbits about the different aquatic sites ("The clownfish can live with the anemones because they are coated in a protective slime-like substance that keeps them from being stung.") and answering the myriad of questions that Hedwig always had for her. His lisp ringing in the constant questions, Casey couldn't help but smile fondly as she answered them, amused at how someone who looked so adult could be so utterly a child.

"Why does that turtle have such a long neck?"

"It's the snake neck turtle, Hedwig."

"Why is that called a 'Milk Frog'?"

"Because it secretes white stuff out of its body when it's threatened, and that stuff looks like milk. It's really poisonous."

"What does the kookaburra eat?"

"All the gumdrops he can see." (At this, Dr. Fletcher had chuckled, hiding her smile behind a hand)

They stopped and looked at the penguins. Hedwig had stepped forward and cupped his face with his hands, pressed up to the glass, but Dr. Fletcher had pulled him back, insisting that he could see fine from where he was, and that any marks he left would have to be cleaned up by Casey or her friends at the aquarium. He had apologized sheepishly to Casey before turning his bright attention back to the awkward birds.

"It kinda stinks over here, doesn't it, Casey?" Hedwig wrinkled his nose dramatically. "Mr. Dennis doesn't like all that penguin stuff all over the place. Look, they pooped on the rocks, gross!"

Dr. Fletcher tensed, which momentarily threw Casey. The doctor was always very laid back, but the mention of mister whoever seemed to catch her off guard. "This is our afternoon at the aquarium, Hedwig. No need for Dennis to be a concern." she firmly told her ward.

Hedwig pouted at her for a minute. "But it's true. Mr. Dennis wouldn't let it look like that in there. He's big an' strong an' keeps everything really clean so it's better." He looked back out the glass, a small frown starting to set on his lips.

"Well, you can tell Mr. Dennis that we are doing the best we can, but the birds are gonna do what the birds are gonna do, m'kay?" Casey interjected, not sure about the stormy look that had started to blow over Hedwig's normally jubilant features. "If he has a problem with that, he can come talk to me."

Turning to her incredulously, Hedwig exclaimed, "No waaay! Mr. Dennis can't come visit you. Dr. Fletcher says that he has to stay in his chair when I'm at the aquarium cuz this is _my_ time, and you're _my _friend."

Casey blinked. " 'Stay in his chair'?" she repeated, confused, but still smiling at him. Hedwig was always coming up with something fun to say, but this was different. He never talked about the other people in his life, preferring instead to lose himself in the aquarium and all of his adventures therein.

Dr. Fletcher stepped forward and gently put a hand on Hedwig's upper arm. "Never mind about Mr. Dennis, Hedwig. That's enough about him. Don't you want to see the sharks before we go? Time is getting short."

Hedwig looked at the older woman for a moment before he put a hand to his temple, wincing as if he'd been struck by a sudden headache. He opened his eyes, and Dr. Fletcher looked at him, pleasant but firm, her eyes locked on his. "Dennis knows that he needs to stay in his chair."

Hedwig inclined his head in a small nod, and for a moment his body had almost seemed to grow bigger, more adult, stronger. But it must have been Casey's imagination, because when he scampered over to her, grinning his silly grin, bouncing and requesting to see the sharks, he was the same Hedwig that she had become familiar with. The cloud that had slid in front of his sunlight seemed to have passed; everything was back to normal.

The younger woman sent a confused glance to the older one, but it either went unnoticed or was deftly ignored. Whatever had happened was going to be filed to the past.

Casey continued with the tour, falling back into their routine with ease.

After work, Marcia invited Casey to join her and Claire, an old classmate, at a local café. Claire and Marcia had been best friends in high school, and Claire was home from college for the summer. Neither girl had really noticed Casey when they were in classes together, but they had never been unkind to her as some of the others had been.

When Casey began her job at Adventure Aquarium, she had been nervous but determined. She was not going to shy away from people anymore – that part of her life was over. She had her own place, and now she had her own job, where she could be someone that other people smiled at and listened to. Marcia had trained her, and they had grown into friends.

Casey arrived after the pair of old friends due to her closing shift – Marcia had gotten out an hour earlier, and had already claimed a table. Casey waved before getting in line to order.

"Hey, Casey… is that your boyfriend? Over by the window?" Marcia said in a low voice, having quietly joined her in line.

Following her eyes, Casey saw him, and her brow furrowed.

He certainly _looked_ like Hedwig.

This man was sitting at a high table near the window, wearing a stylish long-sleeved shirt, a bright blue infinity scarf, and dark jeans. His head was propped on one hand as he focused entirely on a sketch he was working on in a massive sketch pad. He was chewing on his lower lip as he focused solely on his work. The outside world appeared to be nonexistent to him.

Casey had never seen Hedwig dressed in anything but bright track suits, but the similarities couldn't be denied. His face, his hair, his bright blue eyes; all were the same. She glanced around the café, hoping to catch sight of Dr. Fletcher. Maybe they were here for a dinner, or had something else to attend following the aquarium trip.

"You know, when he's not being a spaz, he's kinda cute…" Marcia continued, and Casey's attention jerked back to her. "What? It's true!" Marcia said defensively, bringing her hands up as if to shield herself from Casey's glare.

After putting her order in and giving her name to be called, Casey turned to Marcia. "I'm going to ask. It'll kill me if I don't. Maybe he's a relative or something?"

"Maybe he has a brother?" Marcia offered.

Casey shrugged. "He never talks about family. I think Dr. Fletcher doesn't want him to when he's out at the aquarium, like that's special sensory time or something."

"Okay, well, be careful. We're right over there, so wave if you need us."

Nodding, Casey turned from her friend and approached the familiar looking man. He was so absorbed in his sketching that she was standing next to his table before he looked up at her.

"Hi, doll, do you need this table?" He asked, jumping a little as he noticed her. The voice was right, but the speech was wrong. The endearing lisp was gone, replaced by a soft Philly accent, lilting with warmth and friendliness.

Casey faltered for a second before answering. "N-no, I… I actually just thought I knew you."

The man seemed to grow cautious, looking closer at her, big blue eyes sweeping over her face. There was a slight widening of his eyes, like he recognized her, but he seemed to brush it away, choosing instead to smile at her disarmingly.

It had been there, though. That momentary recognition. Casey felt her stomach clench. "…Hedwig?"

He was too slow to respond. There was a pause, and Casey could see him debating what to say. He saw her watching him, and sighed in a defeated sort of way. "Casey." He stated, not a question.

"Please, tell me you're his like… Identical twin brother, or something. Please." Casey looked at him, starting to feel sick, with tendrils of anger creeping into her.

"Not exactly, Babygirl." He sighed and stretched luxuriously. "Dr. Fletcher is going to be ticked."

"So what are you, an actor? Acting like someone... someone who isn't all there?" She was more than just a little mad now, thinking of the time that she had spent with this casual person, thinking she knew him. "Do you get your rocks off on getting special treatment?"

His face had fallen into a hurt expression, large blue eyes wounded. "No, of course not, it's not like that. Hedwig really enjoys his time at the aquarium with you and the doctor."

"Right. And then you change into your café clothes and, what, take notes on how to sell mental illness?" Casey fought to keep her voice low, not wanting to draw attention from the other customers. She couldn't believe that she'd been fooled. She had always prided herself on being able to see people's true intentions, after watching her uncle charm everyone while doing unspeakable things to her.

How had she missed it? He'd been _so _convincing.

"Oh no, please don't be mad. I can explain… but it would be better coming from Dr. Fletcher. It must be a shock to see me like this, but really…" He bit his lip, looking deeply unhappy. "I'm Barry, honey. We can explain. Please don't hate me; Hedwig really looks forward to seeing you. You've been so kind."

"I can't believe this." Casey forced herself to take a breath. "You said your name is 'Barry' now? What happened to 'Hedwig'? Got any other names you want to throw out there?"

The corner of his mouth twitched at some personal joke, but he caught control of himself. "Hedwig's in his chair."

_Dr. Fletcher says he has to stay in his chair._

"What even _is_ that?" she asked, growing exasperated.

Barry opened his mouth to respond, but the barista shouted "COFFEE FOR CASEY, UP!"

Casey looked at him, thoroughly disgusted. "Don't bother. You know, there are people who really have problems out there. Pretending like you did, it's sick, taking advantage of kindness."

She shot him one last glare, and then she turned to get her coffee. Barry sat, looking dejected, sketch forgotten. He appeared to want to say something, but Casey didn't want to hear it. Her ears seemed to be pounding with angry blood, and she knew her color was high as she approached Claire and Marcia.

"Well? What happened?" Marcia asked, looking alarmed.

"Nothing. He's not who I thought he was." Casey forced a smile to her lips as she sat with her back to Barry, or Hedwig, or whatever his name really was. She wasn't going to give him any more attention. "Claire, how's college?"

The conversation was awkward at first, but, when it became clear that Casey wasn't going to discuss the Barry issue any further, it began to flow more easily. When the girls stood to leave, Casey shot a glance to the high table near the window, but it was empty, abandoned by Barry.


	2. The Explanation

Chapter 2: The Explanation

Casey was wiping down the tank that contained the Lined Seahorses, trying to keep her mind off of Hedwig (Barry?). She had tried to dismiss the whole situation, but it kept creeping back into her thoughts whenever her guard had fallen.

It felt like she had been betrayed, and wasn't that what had happened? She'd been betrayed. She'd taken the time and the energy to make Hedwig comfortable at the aquarium, and had even stood up for him when coworkers had snickered at the adult acting like a child. Casey had been so protective that Marcia had started jokingly calling Hedwig "Casey's Boyfriend". Then Casey had seen Barry, and she felt foolish.

It didn't seem fair that trying to be a nicer and happier person had just ended up getting her hurt.

Claire and Marcia kept inviting Casey out; Marcia had clearly filled Claire in on what she knew (not much), and had mentioned that Casey was acting a little off at work. Not unfriendly, but distant. The weekdays had been slow, but Casey had taken to volunteering to do the one-person jobs around the aquarium rather than trying to pair off with Marcia as she normally would have.

"I'm fine; really, I just want to do my own thing for a little." Casey had told her friend when Marcia had asked what was up. Casey had forced a big smile to show how fine she was, and Marcia had relented.

"Okay, but, like, you know that you can come over or to dinner with us or whatever whenever you want. And you totally should come to dinner, by the way." Marcia's lips had pursed, and Casey had nodded before grabbing a bucket of cleaning materials and heading towards the seahorses.

So, here was Casey, trying not to think about how jubilant and how _real_ Hedwig had seemed, just to be an act. She wondered if Dr. Fletcher was just another actress, or if she had been a leader in the bizarre scam. Had Casey's boss or anyone at the ticketing booth asked to see any credentials? Probably not, but maybe that's something they should start checking…

"Casey?" a warm, female voice came from behind her.

Casey turned and was surprised to find Dr. Fletcher standing a few feet back, smiling at her, though her smile seemed a little sad. Casey frowned at her. "Didn't feel like bringing Hedwig today? Or should I say… _Barry_?"

Dr. Fletcher nodded her head as if accepting the less than warm greeting. "Barry told me that he met you, and that the conversation had been… less than ideal."

The younger woman said nothing, just stood and waited politely for whatever excuse the "doctor" was going to make for their actions. She was still, a blank slate, betraying nothing.

"After my chat with him, I thought that I should perhaps come to see you. You have been important to all of us, and we hate the idea that things have been damaged." The doctor continued, smiling softly and fixing Casey with her intelligent eyes. She didn't approach Casey, preferring instead to let the girl make the first move, hoping it would be across the gap between them, rather than widening it.

Casey resisted the urge to roll her eyes; this wasn't the time for any outdated teenage sass, and she wasn't that person anymore. She paused, considering her words, then asked, "Why am I important? I'm an aquarium worker who got duped in some sort of a scam."

Sighing, looking mildly disappointed, Dr. Fletcher replied, "Ah, but you _are_ important. You were the first outside person that has been consistently able to show Hedwig kindness and acceptance. It's been very important to see that someone, some normal person in a sea of strangers, could be kind. He's been making excellent progress."

"I don't understand… 'Progress'? What are you researching?"

Clasping her hands together in front of her bosom, extending a finger on each hand to tap her lips, Dr. Fletcher thought for a moment. "Why don't you come to my office. We're in agreement, Hedwig, Barry, the others, and I – we would like to give you an explanation." The older woman dropped her hands, reached into her pocketbook, and withdrew a business card.

She extended it to Casey, across the space between them.

Neither woman moved.

Casey looked at the card in the doctor's hand. A part of her yearned for the explanation, but the rest of her had been raised by her uncle. It was hard to forgive and to put yourself back out there once you'd been hurt. She didn't want to open herself up for repeated blows; she had escaped that life.

"Please, Casey. Come for a cup of tea, and to hear Hedwig's story. Then you can make up your mind on whether we are evil swindlers or not."

"Who's to say that I haven't made up my mind already?" Casey retorted, feeling the temptation to take the card threaten to overwhelm her.

Dr. Fletcher's eyes twinkled. "Well, you've let me talk this long. Were I decided to be completely a monster, I don't think you'd have let me have the time of day."

Taking a step forward, Casey accepted the business card. "Dr. Karen Fletcher" was printed in neat gold leaf at the top, over an address not too far away, with office hours and a phone number listed. It looked real enough, but, Casey reminded herself, it wasn't particularly hard to get business cards printed up.

"I get out at five; is that too late? I see your hours end at four-thirty…"

Smiling, Dr. Fletcher told her that would be just fine. "This is a special case; I'm willing to make an exception. We will see you later." She turned to leave, but turned back once more. "And Casey?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you, from all of us."

A few hours later, after her shift had ended, Casey found herself standing before a handsome wooden door, in an apartment building on the richer side of town. Her fist was raised, ready to knock, but she hesitated. Did she really plan to go through with this?

Casey searched her heart, found that she did, and brought her fist down on the door in a series of staccato knocks.

After a beat, the handle turned, and the door opened to reveal Dr. Fletcher. The office behind her was more spacious than Casey had expected, and was warm and inviting. It appeared to double as the doctor's apartment, but the personal touch blended with the business in a way that it was hard to tell where one began and the next started.

"Casey, thank you for coming. Please, come in." Dr. Fletcher hummed to Casey, stepping aside and gesturing with a sweeping motion towards a set of aesthetically pleasing beige plush chairs positioned near the window.

Seated in one of the chairs was the man that she had only known as Hedwig until recently, dressed in what Casey thought of as his "Barry" clothes. He once more had the gigantic sketchbook, but had apparently set it aside when Casey had knocked. Today he wore a grey shirt with a snood collar, and complimentary black slacks. There was an olive green beanie lying on top of a worn leather messenger bag. Upon seeing Casey, the man rose nervously, straightening his pants and appearing not to know what to do with his hands.

He settled on cramming them into his pockets, and flashed Casey a warm smile.

Casey glanced back at the doctor, who bustled in after her. "Tea? Coffee? Water?"

"No, thank you."

"Alright. Pull up a chair, dear, let's get started." Dr. Fletcher said, selecting a seat for herself. The man lowered himself back into the chair he had been perched in, crossing his legs as he sat.

"I think I'm good, thanks." Casey was firm but not rude. She wasn't going to sit until she was sure that it was worth staying for a bit.

"Doll, you're in for a bit of a story. You might as well sit." Barry patted the arm of the chair next to him, his brilliant blue eyes finding her wary brown ones.

"Barry, if she wants to stand, she will. The point of her being here is so that she can draw her own conclusions; let's allow her some modicum of comfort of her own choosing." Dr. Fletcher scolded him gently, also watching Casey's carefully blank face.

Barry nodded and adjusted his body in the seat. He looked like he was feigning comfort – his body language tried to project that he was casually sitting, but tension rolled off of him in waves.

Dr. Fletcher cleared her throat lightly, and began. "Casey, this is Barry. He and Hedwig share a body with twenty-one other personalities. They are each unique, capable of having their own memories and experiences. When you met Hedwig, you were truly meeting only Hedwig, though he was happy to tell the others about you… now, we have Barry here, though he has admitted that he's sharing the light so that the others can see what he is seeing and hear what he is hearing."

Casey's brow furrowed. "How can that be? And… and what is the light?"

"I believe, and have been trying to show my colleagues, that Barry and everyone in there with him are an example of another step in human evolution. We know so little about the brain; I believe that people with Barry's particular affliction, Dissociative Identity Disorder, have tapped into a part of the brain that the rest of us haven't. There are many cases of DID." She paused to take a sip of water from the glass next to her before continuing. "There have been cases of one identity being blind, while another is not. Barry here, for example, is not diabetic, but another personality, Jade, is."

Eyes sliding back to Barry, Casey asked, "…and the light?"

Dr. Fletcher nodded to Barry, who leaned forward in his chair to respond. "The way it is for us, we are all sitting in a room, in chairs, around a light bulb. When one of us reaches for it and holds it, that person is in charge."

_Mr. Dennis has to stay in his chair._

"So, Mr. Dennis… is that another one of… you?"

Barry's head jerked up in surprise at hearing the name. "You've met Dennis?" he asked, before his face went blank for a moment, one hand rising to his temple. "Oh, of course Hedwig would mention him. Kid basically worships him."

"Barry, be nice. You're all working together for Kevin, and that includes Dennis." Dr. Fletcher tutted in a voice full of warning. Casey noticed that the other woman spoke to Barry differently than she had to Hedwig; she was speaking to an adult, not a child.

"Kevin?" Casey asked.

The man in the chair looked down at his knees for a moment, and then looked back at Casey, an expression of sadness coating his features. He was so expressive without words that Casey's heart felt like it was breaking a little with the weight of his sorrow. "He won't wake up." Barry whispered, and Casey was startled to see tears in his eyes.

Dr. Fletcher placed one of her small, wrinkled hands over his large, muscular ones. He took it gratefully.

"Kevin was the first personality in their body; because of the trauma that he faced at the hands of his abuser, his psyche fractured, splitting into everyone else. The rest of his personalities work together to keep him safe, because that was their purpose, but Kevin has had a lot of difficulty overcoming his past. He hasn't taken the light in years, preferring instead to 'sleep' in their mind." The woman continued, still holding Barry's hand but turning her attention once more to Casey.

"I-I'm sorry, about Kevin." Casey whispered, her brain turning to all of the times that she had shut her mind off while her uncle had done whatever he wanted to her. She would venture outside of herself, staring at a crack in the ceiling or out a window, willing herself to go there and leave her hurting body behind. She couldn't imagine telling people about all of the mornings, afternoons, and nights that she had endured, a piece of her shutting down each time; she especially couldn't imagine telling some tour guide that she barely knew about her secret pains. "Why do you care if I believe you? Why tell me?"

Turning his slightly red rimmed eyes to her face, Barry offered her a watery smile. "We're trying to see if people will believe us. So many people don't think that we exist, and that's just… just the worst. Dr. Fletcher had this idea that we should start trying to meet new people, and see how we can interact with them."

"But why me?" Casey asked.

"Because Hedwig likes you. He's a good kid, but everyone treats him like he's a total weirdo, because he's a kid in an adult's body. You're nice to him, and you never made him feel like anything less than human. It means a lot to him… to all of us." Barry straightened up in his seat, releasing Dr. Fletcher's hand. "I didn't mean to mess up his time out by running into you, hon. The others were pretty pissed at me."

"My thought was, if we could take whoever had the light out into the world, not just hiding away in a job and avoiding the world, the world would be less intimidating. Perhaps Kevin will be able to come out for extended periods of time if he can be shown that the world isn't as cruel as he thought." Dr. Fletcher added.

Casey could feel her gut loosening. She had come here expecting some explanation involving social experiments and the folly of man, but had instead heard this incredible tale. "I _want_ to believe you. It sucked to think that you were playing me, or the system, or something… but how can I believe you?"

Dr. Fletcher turned to Barry. "Barry, perhaps you can pass the light around a little?"

Barry nodded, wiped his eyes, and took a deep breath.

Suddenly, he slouched back in the chair, fixing Casey with a rueful smirk. "I fucking _hate_ being the only one who needs those cunt-licking shots. Hi girl, I'm Jade. De-fucking-lightful to meet ya." Jade twiddled a few fingers at Casey, who was speechless, then proceeded to examine her finger nails. "Hey, Doc, when do I get a spin at the whole kumbaya shit show?"

Jade straightened, perched herself at the edge of her chair, crossed her legs at the ankle, and placed her hands primly in her lap. The voice that came out of her mouth was soft and respectful. "Really, I don't know why she feels that language is appropriate. Hello, little duck, my name is Patricia. It's a pleasure, really." Patricia extended a hand to Casey, who automatically took it. Instead of shaking it, Patricia held Casey's hand lightly in her own. "We are extraordinary, and the things we can be capable of, hmm."

The hand holding Casey's shifted; it went from a light, gentle touch to a firm one, emanating strength, before her hand was released abruptly. The man sitting before her uncrossed his legs, then crossed his arms and squared his shoulders. His gaze held hers, and she was startled to see that the blue eyes now seemed to be full of steel. He raised an eyebrow, and a slight frown touched the corners of his mouth.

"Uhm… hi?" Casey breathed to him, lost in the amount of power emanating from the man's body. She had seen him before, she realized; the last time Hedwig had come to the aquarium.

"Hello." He responded in a deep and precise voice. "I'm Dennis. I believe that I'm supposed to talk to you about your penguins?" he asked, a deep Philadelphia accent coating each word.

"Oh… yeah…" she was at a loss for words. She felt that he might be joking, but there was nothing in his language, body or spoken, to support this.

Dennis's eyes flicked over her, and Casey found herself grateful for the layers that she wore. There was something predatory about him, though he was sitting perfectly still. She wasn't afraid of him, she realized, just… cautious. He bombarded her senses, tying her tongue, making her feel like the awkward teen she had been.

Casey tried to see the others that she had just met, looking for traces of them in his face, but his eyes gave away none of Hedwig's jubilance; his mouth remained set, with none of Barry's charming smile gracing it; his body held none of the sullen boredom that Jade had borne; his hands were strong and blunt, so different from the delicate one that Patricia had extended.

"I don't enjoy putting on this pony show." He stated evenly, every word carefully selected, gazing evenly at her as she studied his face. Casey blushed.

"Dennis, this is not show, or an act; this is to help Casey understand." Dr. Fletcher said in a cautious tone. She also seemed aware of the power that radiated from him, but had not been befuddled by it as Casey had.

"Thank you, f-for coming to… uhm… meet me..?" Casey stammered, trying to gather herself, cursing herself for sounding so childish.

He dipped his head in a small nod, and his eyes locked onto the bowl of chocolates beside him. He carefully extended a finger and pushed the bowl into the direct center of the table, exhaling a small sigh once the task was complete. His cold blue eyes rose back to hers again before his head tipped back slightly, and warmth flooded into his body, into his eyes, into his aura.

"Hey, doll, sorry about that. Dennis can be a… little much." Barry said, blushing slightly as he relaxed the body that had been so rigid a moment before. He glanced down, spotted the chocolate bowl, and tugged it back towards the edge before selecting a piece and stuffing it in his mouth.

Casey stood staring openly at the man in the chair until he shifted, a playful smile touching his lips. "Something on my face, babygirl?"

Shutting her mouth, Casey sat down in the empty chair next to him. "Wow." That was all that she could manage. Her mind was reeling. What would it be like to never be alone, to have to be so many people at once?

"Casey, a glass of water perhaps?" Dr. Fletcher offered kindly. She rose when Casey nodded, and returned a moment later with a glass of cool water.

Sipping and trying to collect herself, Casey tore her eyes away from Barry. She looked around at the art in the doctor's office, and her eyes fell on a piece that had apparently been done by a child; a humanoid shape with sharp teeth and arms upraised.

Barry followed her eyes, and then cleared his throat. "If you can handle it, there's someone else who'd like to say hello, Casey."

She nodded, and he burst into a wide grin that she knew very well. Hedwig scooted to the edge of his seat, somehow seeming smaller than the previous alters. He seemed to be vibrating with excitement as he spoke. "Hiya, Casey! You met some of the others! Whaddya think? Can I come back to the aquarium soon?"

Laughing, Casey smiled fondly at the boy. "Hi, Hedwig. I… I think you guys are incredible."

Hedwig beamed at her, and Dr. Fletcher clapped her hands together in an expression of relief.


	3. Dinner For Two

Chapter 3: Dinner For Two

"Oh my god, what are _they_ doing here?" Marcia asked incredulously.

Casey sent her a stern look. It had been a few days since her visit to Dr. Fletcher's office, and now Dr. Fletcher and Hedwig were entering the aquarium for their usual excursion. In truth, she was excited to see them, and a little nervous – she knew so much more now.

"No, its fine, I've got it figured out, really." Casey moved forward, preparing to greet her visitors, but Marcia caught her arm.

"Really?" Marcia's dark eyes were full of concern, searching Casey's face.

"Really. I'll… fill you in when I can." She gently pulled her arm away from her friend, gave her a small smile, and turned to Dr. Fletcher and Hedwig.

Ignoring the feel of Marcia's eyes boring into her back, Casey smiled widely and said, "Hey, guys! Nice to see you. Where do you want to start, Hedwig?"

"SHARKS!" He yelled, excited as always.

Dr. Fletcher paused next to Casey for a moment, allowing Hedwig to get a little further ahead of the two women. "Casey, I wanted to thank you. For listening, for believing, for welcoming us back, and for your discretion. Kevin's case is a special one, and it's unusual for someone D.I.D. to stay out of an institution."

Eyes widening, Casey repeated, " 'An Institution'? Are… are they dangerous?"

Dr. Fletcher shook her head. "No, not that I've seen, although Dennis… Dennis was the first alter to appear, and he faced the brunt of the trauma to protect Kevin. It made him a little… rough around the edges. But I wouldn't call him _dangerous._" She sighed. "No, usually people with D.I.D. are either boxed up to be studied like an animal, or can't function in public, cycling through their alters and never being able to hold down a job or an apartment. Kevin functions very well."

Hedwig was grinning at the sharks, occasionally making bizarre faces at the toothy fish, showing as many of his own teeth as he could. When Casey and Dr. Fletcher joined him, he turned to smile at them, his sunlight beaming at both of them.

The doctor drifted near a display of shark evolution, and Hedwig turned to Casey. She felt his eyes on her, and turned to look at him, only to see that he wasn't Hedwig anymore. The playful sparkle in his eyes and the warmth to his smile made betrayed him as Barry.

"Hey, doll, what do you say to dinner later? Get to know someone other than Hedwig." His smile was full of charm, and Casey wondered how often people were able to decline a request made from behind that grin.

"You mean, with you and Dr. Fletcher?" Casey kept her voice low, sending a glance at the doctor, who was still studying the display across the room.

Barry stepped closer to her – did Hedwig smell as good as he did? How had she never noticed that he smelled subtly of spicy aftershave? – and gave his head a small shake, mischievous blue eyes never leaving her brown ones. "Nah, just me and you. I thought it would be nice to not have you think of us as just a nine-year-old."

"Well, I don't think of you like that… anymore… I mean, not since…"

His smile expanded. "Babygirl, you're the first 'real' person to hear about us, and not look at me like I have another head or something. C'mon, come to dinner and get to know me. I _promise_ that you'll have fun."

She took a breath to steady herself. Normally, Casey would've declined his offer. She had no interest in entertaining or being entertained by men, not after what she had been through. But, Barry seemed so sincere…

"Yeah, okay. Dinner." Casey was surprised to hear the words fall out of her mouth, but Barry's eyebrows rose with delight and something in her midsection fluttered pleasantly.

"Excellent. The Good King Tavern, say… seven?"

Her eyebrows rose incredulously. "Will we be able to get a seat?"

"I'll call ahead. The owner's wife owes me one." Seeing her confusion, Barry added, "I made her a dress for a little soirée they held a few months back."

"Well… okay then. See you at seven." Casey smiled nervously at him, trying not to think about how this was her first time agreeing to meet a man alone for dinner.

Barry winked at her, stepped back, and let Hedwig have the light. Hedwig blinked for a minute, looking a little confused, but brushed it off and went back to admiring the exhibit.

Dr. Fletcher rejoined them, and the trio continued their tour.

Casey stood before her mirror, gazing at her reflection. She tried to remember the last time that she had really looked at herself. She must have checked on her appearance before the interview at the aquarium, nearly a year prior. Had that been the last time?

Before her stood a tall brunette, finally losing the last remnants of childhood and curving into a woman. She had donned black slacks on her long legs, and a flowing silk top that hugged her in a way she wasn't certain that she was entirely comfortable with. She'd bought the shirt on a whim, unable to put it back after feeling the cool smoothness of it drifting beneath her fingers at the store. It accentuated her generous curves, but was long enough to keep her scars a secret.

_Honestly, it's not like it's a _date_ or anything; I've got nothing to be nervous about. _Casey thought to herself. Her eyes found flaws in the reflection that she forced herself to discard; she was certain that she looked acceptable. More acceptable than usual, considering they'd really only seen her in her aquarium attire.

She took a final moment to examine, make sure everything fit correctly, and then the young woman slipped on her sandals, snagged a purse, and departed.

Barry stood outside of the restaurant, early, but content to enjoy the warm weather and wait. He had changed out of Hedwig's track suit, glad to be in something more stylish. The blazer he had pulled on over a black shirt was just enough to dress up the jeans he had pulled on. As always, he had his messenger bag containing his sketchbook, and he itched to pull it out and work on it.

His work was always getting interrupted by one of the other alters; he usually made use of his time in the light to try to get ahead on his designs. He sometimes was able to sell his ideas, and he was grateful that the owner's wife had been a customer. Favors came in handy.

_I don't think that this is what Dr. Fletcher had in mind for us when she suggested that we interact with people. _Dennis said sternly, frowning from his chair.

Rolling his eyes, Barry chose not to respond. He was going to have some fun. It had been a while since they had been out with anyone besides Dr. Fletcher.

_Mohammed Ali, _Orwell began, ignoring the groans of the others in their chairs, _once said, "Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school, but if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you haven't learned anything."_

_And?_ Jade countered.

Orwell deflated some in his chair, disappointed that another of his poignant quotes had been missed. _And… it's good for Barry to foster relationships. This will help us to help Kevin._

_I don't see how trying to get his dick wet will help Kevin. _Jade smirked.

"_Not_ what tonight is supposed to be." Barry murmured under his breath, hoping not to attract any attention. He checked his watch, saw that it was nearly seven, and his eyes began to sweep the sidewalks, looking for a familiar face.

There she was. Casey looked nervous and radiant. Shy and lovely.

Barry held his breath for a moment in appreciation of the visage approaching before firming his grip on the light, blocking his evening from the others.

He waved, and her slightly pale face flushed as she smiled upon seeing him. "Shall we?" the man asked when she had caught up to him, offering her an arm. She let out a small laugh and took his arm.

As he led her inside, giving his name to the host ("Crumb, seven o'clock."), Casey allowed herself to enjoy the casual comfort of the evening. She realized that this was the second time she had ever touched him, if you counted Patricia's slight grasp on her hand in Dr. Fletcher's office, and she was surprised by the amount of muscle she could feel under his blazer.

She snuck a glance at him while his attention was on the host, and realized that Marcia had been right; he really _was_ actually pretty cute when he wasn't being… Hedwig.

"If I can just see the lady's ID, I'm happy to leave the wine menu for you." The host said, depositing them at a booth in a small alcove.

Casey blushed, rifled through her purse, and handed her ID over. The host inspected it closely and handed it back, apparently satisfied.

Barry breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank god. That saves me from having to be rude and ask if you're old enough for a drink." He winked at her.

Laughing again – when was the last time she had laughed so much? – Casey replied, "I can drink legally, thank you. Are they going to ask for you AARP discount card while we're here?"

"Oh, sass, very nice. I'll have you know that this is the early-thirty-something model that I'm driving today." Barry retorted, grinning at her from across the table.

Grinning back, finding it impossible not to while in the glow of his attention, Casey found herself relaxing. He wasn't being pushy or grabby, and she felt that she was in control of her situation. This was nothing like being around a boy from school… or her uncle.

She would be okay.

"So, I had this brilliant idea that we should go out tonight, hon. Get to know each other." Barry shrugged out of his blazer and leaned across the table, the lit candle in the center making his eyes seem to dance with good humor.

"Yeah. I think… it's a good idea. What do you want to know?" she kicked herself mentally for being awkward, but Barry just kept smiling at her.

He waggled an eyebrow at her in a suggestive way, but when he spoke, he simply asked, "How about… your last name? Or are you like Madonna?"

"Oh! Cooke. My name is Casey Cooke."

Barry snorted. "Really? What are you, a super hero? Peter Parker, Clark Kent, Casey Cooke?"

Casey leaned forward across the table, a conspirator's smile gracing her full lips. "Actually, don't tell anyone, but I'm from Aquaman's tribe. That's why I'm at the aquarium… I spend my days discussing krill with the dolphins."

"I don't think Aquaman comes from a tribe. Maybe a pod? Like with whales?" Barry pursed his lips in thought for a moment. "So, Casey not-a-superhero Cooke, got any roommates, or d'ya still live at home?"

She shifted uncomfortably, and some of the smile fell from her face. "No, I don't have anyone. To live with. I don't have any roommates, I mean. I have my own house."

He was dying to probe her further on the subject, but decided not to pursue it further. Her entire demeanor had changed - Casey was now focusing on her glass of water, taping the stem lightly with her long fingers, quietly avoiding his eyes. "Your turn!" he said, the enthusiasm coming naturally to him.

Looking startled, Casey brought her eyes back to his, and thought for a moment. "Do _you _have any roomies?"

"Psh, you know the answer to that. I have twenty-two roommates." He continued to smirk at her. "Bet you can't guess where we work."

A bottle of white wine arrived while Casey thought, and Barry poured a glass for himself, and offered to pour some for her. "Sure, I'll have a glass. I actually don't drink much, really." She said.

Pouring, Barry countered, "Ah, so your plan is to get me drunk by having me finish the bottle myself, and take advantage of me?"

Casey's face turned scarlet as she stammered out a response, but Barry relented, grinning mischievously at her once more. "Babygirl, you've about used up your quota of blushes for the evening, I swear. Relax, I'm just breaking the ice. This is my way. Now, since you've done such a terrible job at guessing, I'll put your mind at ease: we work at the zoo."

The conversation flowed with ease throughout the dinner; they compared the aquarium to the zoo, debated over which exhibits were better, and listed off things that they hadn't gotten around to doing in the famous city. Barry had never seen the liberty bell, and Casey told him that she had secretly dreamed of running the Rocky stairs.

"Well, now we know what we're doing next time… assuming you won't run screaming in the opposite direction if I were to suggest that there is a next time?" Barry said, signing the receipt with a flourish. Casey had insisted that they split the bill, but he hadn't had any of it, feigning insult at the thought.

She nodded, smiling at him. "I'd like that."

They stood to leave, and Barry offered her his arm once more. She took it, grateful. She could feel the wine (they'd split the bottle just about evenly after all) making her face feel warm and her head light. There was a gentle flush to his face as well, so at least she wasn't alone.

"How are you getting home?" He asked.

"I live nearby. I was just going to walk."

Barry paused and looked at her, "Mind if I walk you home? A pure gentleman such as myself couldn't stand the thought of sending you away unescorted."

Casey giggled softly. "I can make it home fine – I made it here in one piece, didn't I?"

"Right, but that was daylight. Haven't you heard that the tigers come at night? Didn't 'Les Mis' teach you anything?"

Rolling her eyes, the young woman replied, "I haven't seen it, so I'll have to take your word for it, but sure, Mr. Gentleman, you may walk me to my door."

Clasping his hands to his breast as if wounded, Barry exclaimed, "You _haven't seen_ 'Les Mis'? Oh, god, that's crime. Add that to the list. We've got to watch that."

She took his arm, leading him gently towards her home, feeling warm and happy. Had she ever had an evening like this, where she felt so content? She didn't think so. He asked for her phone, and he programmed his number into it ("I put it under 'Kevin' to avoid any… confusion.").

A comfortable silence enveloped the pair as they walked. Casey was lost in her thoughts of what a nice night it had been, and Barry seemed to be trying to look in every direction at once, looking at her neighborhood with approval. It was quiet, and small, with neat houses lining a nearly empty street.

"This is me." She said at last, gesturing to a grey single story house. When she started to let go of his arm, Barry placed a hand over hers, gently stopping her.

"Ahem, I believe that the deal was that I would escort you to your door, what with me being a gentleman and all." One of his eyebrows rose playfully, and his eyes shone warmth at her.

She ducked her head in agreement, and led him down her cobblestone walkway, past the modest garden overflowing with pink and white Summer Phlox, and stopped at her door. He was smiling softly at her as she pulled her keys from her purse, unlocked her door, and turned back to him.

Barry stepped forward then, nearly closing the space between them. He leaned close to her, his face inches away, blue eyes bright as they held her brown eyes in their gaze. Casey's heart seemed to have stopped, and she felt herself biting her lip unconsciously, leaning in slightly towards him. His cologne drifted lazily to her across the air. He was so close that she could feel the light puff of his breath with each exhale.

His mouth twisted into a self-satisfied smirk, not unkind, and he took one of her hands and shook it firmly, his face still just inches from hers, his eyes never leaving hers. "Thanks for the evening, Casey." His voice was husky, barely above a whisper.

Then his hand released hers, and he stepped back, tipped her a wink, then shoved his hands into his pockets and began walking back the way they'd come.

Casey's heart took a moment to restart. She realized that she was standing on her doorstep, frozen, staring at his retreating figure with her mouth slightly ajar, so she closed her mouth, and went inside, head spinning.


	4. The Best Laid Plans

a/n: thank you all for the wonderful feedback! i've been combing back over the work, trying to put in breaks where I hadn't realized that ff.n had been removing them. apologies for any weird transitions prior to that. also, if you haven't heard of it, check out - there's a bunch of wonderful "split" (and other movie) stories there that haven't made it to this site.

...

...

Chapter 4: The Best Laid Plans

"But I _do_ have plans tonight, really, Marcia." Casey repeated for what felt like the fiftieth time. "I'll catch dinner with you and Claire another time."

Marcia stood before her, one hand on her hip, another clutching a mop as if it were a spear. The pair of women were mopping the shark wing, and Marcia had a determined look on her face, her eyebrows set in a way that would allow no argument.

"Nuh-uh, Cooke, you've got some explaining to do. First, you were all… spacey… and now you're practically whistling while you work. What happened? Is it that guy from the café?"

Casey sighed. There was no escaping this, she knew. "Fine, yeah, it actually is to do with him. I… went to dinner with him on Saturday. Tonight we've got more plans, okay?"

Her mouth opened in delighted shock, Marcia took a moment to respond. "Oh my god, really? _You_ went to dinner with _a guy_? And you didn't tell me?! Oh my god. Tell me everything."

She tried to fight the smile that was playing at her lips, but Casey couldn't help but smile softly as she recounted the evening with Barry – she glossed over the part where he was actually also Hedwig, figuring it was too soon to try to tell Marcia about D.I.D. or all of the others. She just omitted when and where Barry had invited her out, referred to Barry as "Kevin" the whole time, and focused instead on telling her about the ease of the conversation, the twinkling in his eyes, and the handshake on her front step.

Marcia was shaking her head in disbelief. "He didn't kiss you?"

"Nope. Just a very firm handshake."

"Wow. That's a new one on me… I can't believe you sat on this for three days. What are you guys doing for a date tonight?"

"I don't think it's a date, but we're going to the stairs from Rocky. Stop making faces at me!" Casey scolded Marcia, who had wrinkled her nose. "I've never seen them."

"It's not that – what do you mean, 'not a date'? Definitely a date." Marcia was examining Casey's face, mopping forgotten. "Look at you! You're so excited. _Definitely_ a date."

Casey gave up trying to argue with her friend, and just smiled while she mopped. She didn't think it was actually a date, but she found herself hoping that it was. Texts from Barry were hard to decipher; she was getting the feeling that he was a flirty person all of the time, so Casey wasn't sure how to take them. Occasionally, one of the others would text, but largely it had been Barry.

As she was being interrogated by Marcia, her phone buzzed, and she snuck a glance at it.

[Still on for tonight? – B]

Her phone buzzed again quickly after she had sent her affirmative text, this time from Jade.

[WHO THE FUCK HASN'T SEEN LES MIS – J]

[Had to tell her. Couldn't be the only one burdened with that knowledge – B]

[No ganging up on me! :( ] Casey wrote back quickly. She'd already discovered that texting with a person who had D.I.D. was like being in a group chat.

"Ahem, earth to Casey. We were talking about your shiny new _actual_ boyfriend, remember?" Marcia sounded impatient.

"Really, that's everything for now. Not much else to say." Casey hoped the shrug that she had added to this statement was as nonchalant as she intended. It wasn't hard for Casey to keep things from people – her uncle was a topic that she flatly refused to acknowledge if brought up – but she didn't enjoy omitting new things from her friend.

The girls made plans for the following evening, and Marcia assured Casey that she and Claire would be expecting a full report on "Kevin".

...

Barry and Casey stood at the top of a great flight of carved stairs, gasping for breath. He had insisted on racing her up the stairs, and her heart was thumping in her chest. Casey decided this was due to the race, and definitely not to the fact that he was bracing himself with one hand on her shoulder, doubled over and taking big gulps of air. His hand was big and warm on her shoulder, and she hoped that she didn't look as close to a heart attack as she felt.

"Oh god, Case, I thought I was in some kind of shape." Barry forced out between gasps.

She laughed weakly, trying to get her own breath under control. "I… thought that we're… supposed to jump around now that… we're at the top…" she managed to say.

He looked at her in horror. "You want me to _jump around_? Are you _trying_ to kill me?"

"Hey, _you're_ the one who wanted to race up the stairs." Casey replied, mustering the energy to look haughtily at him. "Well, I've done the Rocky Steps, and survived. What now?"

"Now I find a place to die in peace." Barry retorted, straightening up. He gave her shoulder a soft squeeze before releasing her. "Well, babygirl, the night is young, and so are we. Though maybe not as young as we thought… was Rocky a robot?" he mused.

Casey smiled at him. "We could quit our jobs and become professional boxers. Then we'd eat the stairs for breakfast."

Barry returned her smile. "Nah, too sweaty. Plus Jade would get us disqualified… she'd almost certainly kick someone in the 'nads." He looked around. "You know, our place is just beyond the park; maybe a half hour walk. Jade's dying to show you Les Mis. You could come watch it, get to know her?"

Casey bit her lip. "I like the idea of the walk… but coming over…"

"Oh, doll, I wouldn't even be around, promise. You'd have girl time. I'm a gentleman, remember?" he asked her, smiling warmly, before quickly adding, "of course, you don't have to. You can come over whenever you want, and it doesn't have to be today."

She thought for a moment, then offered her arm to him, smiling shyly up at him as he took it. "How about we walk, and I can make up my mind en route?"

He nodded. "Maybe you want to let someone know where you're going? Make you feel better?"

Relief flooded her. He honestly seemed to understand her hesitation, thankfully without asking any questions. Barry's eyes were on her, concerned, but he maintained his charming smile as Casey pulled out her phone and texted Marcia, displaying her phone for him to see as she typed.

[I think I'm going over to Kevin's to watch a movie.]

[You survived the stairs?] came Marcia's prompt response.

"I hope you don't mind… I told her you're Kevin for now, just to make it easier?" Casey said, slightly embarrassed.

"Not at all, sugar. We usually go by Kevin's name. Tell her you're heading to the zoo."

Casey's eyebrows shot up in question. "You live where you work?"

"Mhmm, it's a nice arrangement that Dr. Fletcher helped us out with. I should warn you, our apartment is a little… eclectic."

[He lives at the zoo? Have fun getting in touch with your wild side. Text me when you're leaving. DETAILS.]

Casey blushed and put her phone away quickly, avoiding Barry's smirk. He tightened his hold on her arm, and led her through the park. They chatted amiably as they walked, and soon Casey found herself being led into a part of the zoo that she had never been to.

...

Barry led her past what appeared to be a holding area for some of the bigger animals. She stopped and stared at the pacing lion, which also stopped and regarded her with intelligent amber eyes. Barry came back to her and took her hand gently. "C'mon, hun, he can't hurt you. Let's go."

Through another set of doors, and they were in a hallway that was lined with buzzing fluorescent lights and pipes. Another set of doors, and Casey's heart was in her throat. She had fallen out of the conversation, and had slowed down, slipping her hand out of his. Her pulse racing, she glanced back the way they had come, biting her lip. Should she say something?

She found herself _very_ aware that she barely knew the man leading her, let alone the other people in his head, and they were _very_ alone down here. Casey wasn't in the habit of putting herself into vulnerable situations; she'd learned not to make it easy for _anyone_ years ago, yet here she was, in an unknown location, multiple doors with locks between her and freedom. Her heart was racing again, and she could swear she could feel her uncle's hot breath on her neck, his meaty hands grabbing at her shoulders.

Standing there, eyes squeezed shut, pulse throbbing, she forced herself to try to swallow this panic. The day had been so fun, and here she was, retreating into herself. It was an effort to open her eyes and look at the man she had decided to trust.

Her guide had stopped walking, and concern flitted briefly over Barry's features before he straightened and seemed to grow taller. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of black rimmed glasses, placing them on his face and regarding her with an eyebrow raised and an unreadable expression on his face.

"Dennis?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Casey wrapped her arms around herself, clutching her elbows and feeling her walls rising back into place, blocking out the world.

He regarded her impassively, but his eyes darted around her face and posture before he flicked a hand up in a motion that simply said "stay". He walked to the next door, his posture stiff, and his steps even. Dennis pulled out his keys and slowly unlocked the door, with precise movements that had an exaggerated quality, as if he wanted her to see everything he was doing. Leaving the door unlocked, he walked back to where she stood, and held the loaded key ring out to her.

Casey looked at him in confusion.

Dennis sighed and ran a hand over his head. "The keys are, uh, numbered. The locks are numbered too. If you decide you wanna go, and don't want us escorting you, you can let yourself out. Just… please leave the keys where we can find them." When she didn't move, Dennis continued, "You don't have to stay. I thought you might like to have the keys. Or I can stay here, if you'd like to go now."

_He wants me to have a way out_. Casey thought to herself, and was immensely grateful. She reached out for the keys, and her cool fingers brushed his warm ones as she took them. Dennis jerked his hand back as if it had been burned by her touch. "Thank you." She said, voice still soft.

The keys were a heavy, comforting weight in her hand. She examined them and saw that they were all carefully numbered in precise hand writing. Her heartbeat was returning to normal, and now she could feel embarrassment flooding her. Her discomfort had been so obvious that Dennis had felt the need to emerge.

"We make people uncomfortable." Dennis stated. His face remained a blank slate, as unreadable as the face of a pharaoh carved into an ancient Egyptian temple.

"No… I just… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be weird." Casey stammered, feeling her cheeks flush. "I just realized that… that…" she trailed off, unsure of how to finish the statement without insulting her new friend.

"…that you're alone with someone who shares his body with a crowd?" Dennis ran a hand over his head again, looking away from her. There was a note of misery under his even statement, but he continued. "We're bein' good. You don't have to worry. But, if you aren't comfortable, you can go. I understand." His words washed over her like a balm; the calm voice chasing away the demons that had been clawing at her edges.

Casey mustered her strength and shook her head. "No, I want to stay. I just needed a moment Thanks for the keys. And for understanding."

Dennis nodded at her, and stepped through the open doorway. He walked like a metronome, with each step landing like the beat of a drum. There was something comforting in his rigid control, and Casey felt herself relaxing further. This was the personality that Dr. Fletcher had described as "rough around the edges"? Casey couldn't see roughness, just carefully controlled care.

He did not take her hand, or reach for her arm as Barry would've. She walked slightly behind him, allowing herself to be lead further into this stranger's space.

A few more turns of the hallway later, Casey found herself looking bemusedly at a very lived-in living room. The microfiber couch that sat in front of the television looked squishy and comfortable, with a soft looking blanket tossed onto one corner. Some rumpled pillows had been squished at one side, giving the impression that someone had taken to laying down and watching TV from a horizontal position.

The walls were decorated with everything. There was a bookshelf overflowing with literature against a wall. It had books stacked in neat piles on top of the highest shelf when the individual shelves had filled up. There were framed sketches of breathtaking landscapes, and Casey spotted a few framed drawings that looked like they had been done by a child. It warmed her heart to think that the other alters would make Hedwig feel special by framing his scrawling works.

She could see an unremarkable kitchen through the doorway in the adjacent wall. Casey noted that the top of the refrigerator was covered in a wide variety of cereal boxes, lined up neatly atop it.

While she looked around, taking in the surroundings, Dennis's jaw clenched and he walked over to the couch, folding the blanket curtly. He took a moment to rearrange the pillows, adding symmetry to the worn couch. Once done, he turned to her, arms crossed.

"It's very neat here. I guess I was expecting it to be overflowing with each of you." Casey noted, trying to break the silence.

Dennis ran a hand over his short hair again before replying. "It would be, if the others had their way."

Casey smiled timidly at him, and he regarded her, his face held remaining carefully blank. She was aware that she was warming to him, and had been since he took the time to be sure that she was comfortable.

"I'll show you the rest of the apartment, then Jade will take over." He walked past her into the hallway once more. Pausing until he was sure that she was following again, he gestured to a door down the end of the hallway. "Bathroom." They passed two more doors. "Utility closets. Extra storage." They passed another door that was slightly ajar, and Casey caught a glimpse of a neatly made bed before Dennis pulled the door shut wordlessly.

They rounded a final corner and Dennis pulled a door open, stepping aside to let Casey enter.

The room was filled with clothes, hanging from racks. Casey was slightly surprised to see that there were dresses and skirts, the occasional boa, but, then again, some of Kevin's personalities were female, she reasoned. This room was a barely controlled chaos, and a glance at Dennis revealed that his jaw was clenching slightly again. There was a desk in the corner, with a computer on it. At the far side was another door, with bolt locks on the outside.

"Emergency exit?" She asked, bobbing her head towards the door.

Dennis's eyes flitted to the door before settling on a set of hangers that were jutting out, clothes hanging askew. His hands reached out to fix the offending garments as he replied, "No. Another room. We don't do anything with it."

"Ah." Casey looked around, amazed at the difference in the clothes. Each rack held several names, and the attire clearly belonged to different people. "It's pretty neat in here, too. Considering how different everyone's style is, at least."

He looked at her, seemed to be searching to see if she was mocking him. She smiled softly at the stern alter, and she could've sworn that she saw one of the corners of his mouth twitch towards something friendly. "Thanks. Now, Jade is going to want to change… Do you mind waiting in the living room?"

Casey nodded and turned, leaving him to his privacy. Dennis closed the door softly behind her and listened to her retreating steps.

"Jade, are you ready?" Dennis asked aloud, careful to keep his voice down.

"Bout fuckin time!" Jade exclaimed, grabbing for the light, but Barry snagged it first.

"Couldn't just let me have a nice evening? Who invited you to take the light, _Dennis_?" Barry demanded, voice low and harsh. He was mad; he'd been having such a good time with Casey. He _liked_ spending time with her, and it had alarmed him how easily Dennis had elbowed him aside and kept him at bay. Sometimes he forgot how strong the other alter was.

"She was uncomfortable." Dennis replied simply.

"She was fine!" Barry insisted.

"No, she wasn't. She looked like she was having a panic attack."

Patricia spoke up then. "I agree, Barry. The girl didn't seem to be having fun anymore."

There were murmurs of agreement in their head, and Barry stood agape. "What are you talking about? We were having fun on the stairs… the walk was nice… she was fine."

"_Was_ fine, you tit. Something freaked her out, and somehow _Mr. Clean_ over here was the one to calm her down. Figure that shit out." Jade said. "Pissing contest over? Can I get changed now?"

"One sec – and _please_ don't put on anything ridiculous. We're trying not to scare her off, remember?" Barry collected himself for a moment before continuing. "So I missed that she got uncomfortable, sorry. But… why did you take the light, Dennis? Why not just tell me something was up?"

Dennis remained silent.

"Come on, you were chatty enough with Casey. Don't try to shut up now." Barry prodded the stern alter. He could feel the icy glare boring into him from the other man.

Running a hand over their head, Dennis relented. "If she left, I would be the one to take what she said. Or didn't say. Kevin doesn't need to be hurt by a girl leaving."

"But… he's asleep… he wouldn't have known."

"And you wouldn't have been sad? You don't think Kevin would feel it?"

Barry sighed, knowing that Dennis was right. He had done what he had been built to do – protect them. He handed the light to Jade, who took it eagerly and began sorting through her clothes.

_Don't forget your shot._ Dennis reminded her.

Jade muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "those shots can lick my balls" before changing and making her way to join Casey in the other room.


	5. Movie Night

a/n - as always, thanks for feedback! I have this work up on archive of our own as well, and i'm happy to keep suggesting that people check out that site :)

Chapter 5: Movie Night

Jade entered the living room.

Casey didn't notice at first; she was examining the bookshelf, eyes skimming over the plethora of novels, biographies, and histories. The books appeared to be arranged by genre, and by author's last name within that setting. Dennis had clearly been busy.

"I _can't believe_ that you haven't seen this fuckin' movie." Jade declared, by way of a greeting.

Casey jumped slightly, turned to her newest host, and paused. She tried very hard not to stare, but it was a struggle.

Barry had been dressed with casual fashion, clothes that draped over their muscular frames in a way that was meant to draw the eye. Hedwig normally wore tracksuits that were bright and cheery. Those were the only two she had seen dressed to match their personalities, and now she was facing the loud personality that was Jade.

The alter standing before her now was dressed in fuzzy pink pajama pants that were slung almost scandalously low on her hips, purple furry slippers, and a cut off shirt that read "princess" in bedazzled cursive across her muscular chest. The shirt had spaghetti straps, and revealed muscular arms to match the muscular…everything. Jade had one hand placed on her hip in a way that reminded Casey forcibly of Marcia when she was at her most stubborn, and Jade's bright blue eyes danced with mischief.

"Hey…" Casey managed, grabbing hold of her runaway thoughts. Swallowing the knowledge that this was the most revealing outfit that she'd ever seen their body in, and her nervousness of being around an alter that she already knew to be more outspoken, she continued, "They watched 'Les Mis' in French. I took Latin."

"Oh, and every Best Buy has been sold out for the years in between? Psh." Jade rolled her eyes before smiling at Casey. "It's ok, I'm here to fix this cryin' tragedy. Plant your skinny ass on yonder couch, and prepare yourself."

Casey obediently picked a corner of the couch and sat, forcing herself not to sit rigidly. "You didn't strike me as the musical loving type."

Jade, who had moved to the DVD shelf next to the television looked at Casey with a grave expression on her face. "What, because I'm diabetic?"

"What? No! I mean, because—" Casey began quickly, horrified.

"Be cool, soda pop. I'm just yankin' your chain. I dunno, I just fuckin' love this movie. Surprised the shit outta everyone." Jade overrode, grinning widely. "Basically the only thing that I have to talk to Orwell about." She added, mostly to herself.

She turned her back to Casey, searching through the DVDs and selected the film. Casey thought she could see long, thin scars, very old, reaching up towards the newly revealed freckled shoulders, but the light made it hard for her to be sure. Jade paused for only a moment to contemplate rearranging the disks from the careful alphabetical order that Dennis had corralled them into - _Do. Not._ Dennis instructed firmly from his chair – before placing the movie in the slightly worn DVD player and flicking on the television. Jade sashayed over to the couch and plopped herself on the middle cushion, leaving only a few inches between herself and Casey, but she bounced back up again almost immediately. "Shit!" she exclaimed.

"What?" asked Casey, startled. Everything that Jade did had an air of drama, and she wasn't fully adjusted to it yet.

"Hold on a sec." Jade instructed, rushing into the kitchen. "Fuck, I hope that spaz didn't find it…"

"Find what?" Casey had turned on the couch, watching intently as Jade reached for a cereal box that sat on top of the refrigerator. As she watched, Jade pulled out the half empty bag of cereal, and then crowed with delight as she removed another package from the box. "…is that popcorn?" Casey asked.

"Hell yeah it is!" Jade's smile was full of pride as she ripped the plastic off and tucked the package into the microwave. "Ha, take _that_, asswipe." She pulled a big bowl from the cupboard as the pops began to fill the room. Jade glanced back at Casey and smiled hugely at her. "Dennis _hates_ popcorn, so he always tosses it. I had to get creative to keep this one safe from that nazi."

"O-oh. Gotcha. Uhm… if he hates it… should we be eating it?" the guest didn't want to upset the host- hosts? – and this seemed like an ongoing battle between the more stubborn alters.

Jade sent her a dark look. "It's not _my_ fault that he's allergic to fun. He doesn't even mind the taste; he just says it's 'too messy'. Whatever; he loves to clean, so this'll give him something else to obsess over." She reached into the microwave, but her hand froze as she reached for the bag. Her brows narrowed in irritation, and Jade shut her eyes. "Let _go_, Dennis. This is my time." She hissed into the kitchen.

_You're going to make a mess._

"No, what I'm going to do is enjoy my movie with popcorn, like a normal human being, you dolt." Her arm remained frozen above the popcorn.

Casey stood and gingerly approached the obstinate alter. She observed Jade's half of the argument with interest, noting how different everyone really seemed to be. They were all individuals, sharing the same body, and it was incredible to behold. Jade hadn't seemed to notice her approach, so the younger girl reached out tentatively, and lightly touched Jade's shoulder. "I can live without the popcorn if it's a problem." She offered shyly.

Dennis's attention swung to the gentle pressure on their shoulder, and Jade pounced on the opportunity, grabbing the popcorn gleefully. "Yesss… thanks, Case. C'mon, let's watch." Dumping the bag of popcorn into the oversized bowl, Jade went back to the couch, reclaiming her spot in the middle and putting her slipper-clad feet on the coffee table.

Casey came and sat in her spot beside Jade, tucking her feet carefully under her. When Jade offered her the bowl of popcorn, she carefully took a handful, mindful of any crumbs. Content, Jade began the film.

...

As the two women sat beneath the zoo, enjoying a blossoming friendship, Dr. Ellie Staple's cell phone rang. The caller on the screen was listed as "The Society", and she straightened up, flipping her perfectly sculpted hair over her shoulder and clearing her throat gently before answering. "Yes?"

"I have a name."

Dr. Staple reached for a nearby pen and the pad of paper that resided in her desk drawer. It didn't matter where she was; the desk and her notes always came with her, always in the same setup.

"Ready." She said curtly, and then she paused, allowing the nondescript male voice at the other end to talk, before replying simply, "Got it."

The connection broke off, and the doctor laced her fingers together, looking over the name that she had written in her neat, flowing script.

"_Kevin Wendell Crumb - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania_" was all that was on the note, and it was all that she would need to get started.

...

"Okay, okay, you're right, I'm sorry. I should've seen that sooner." Casey sighed to Jade, her voice full of resignation. "It was really good."

"You're fucking welcome." Jade replied amiably, standing. "Seriously though, thanks for coming over. I know you were freaked, but hopefully this was worth it."

Casey felt the blush that darkened her cheeks as it blossomed. "No, that was stupid of me, earlier. It's been fun. The whole day, I mean."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure getting a tour from Dennis was a blast." Jade replied absently, rolling her eyes again as she collected the DVD, returning it to its cover and its location on the shelf.

"The whole day has been nice, really. All of you are… so nice to me." Casey said quietly, her eyes falling to her feet.

Jade turned back to her, expression softening for once. "Well, duh, of course we are. We _like_ you. We hope you like us too."

Wide brown eyes shot up to Jade's blue eyes, searching for sarcasm. "Of course I like you! You're all… incredible. I just don't get why you like me."

Preening from the compliment, Jade stepped forward to Casey, taking her hand. "It's hard to explain, and I'm not exactly the most eloquent of us, but… Hedwig likes you, a lot. When one of us likes you…" She trailed off, thinking hard. "We're all different people, up here." Jade tapped her temple lightly. "But, we're all connected here." Now Jade placed her free hand over her heart. "When one of us likes you, it's hard for another of us _not _to like you. Barry likes you a lot. So do I. So do the rest of us."

Casey felt warmth spreading in her chest now, and smiled issued a light squeeze to Jade's hand. It was the same body holding each of her hosts, but she swore the hand in her own was softer, more feminine. Jade was entirely her own person, and there was no confusing her with Barry, Dennis, or Hedwig. "But you don't all like the same things. Like the popcorn."

Jade snorted and rolled her eyes. "Fuckin' popcorn. We're our own people, but when it comes to like, relationships or some happy horseshit like that, we're all connected. Even Patricia is inclined to like you, and that old bat is basically queen of the ice cunts."

Clapping a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter, Casey reveled in the feeling of camaraderie. "Oh my god, Jade, your mouth."

"Yup! You know, swearing is supposed to be a sign of intelligence. If you've got it, fuckin' flaunt it." Jade squeezed Casey's hand in return. "I've got someone else who wants to visit ya, if you're not too exhausted from watching the best movie in the history of ever."

"Sure! But after that, I should probably go. Work tomorrow." _And I need to be well rested before Marcia puts bamboo under my fingernails to find out every detail of tonight_, she added to herself.

Jade suddenly hunched a little, seeming to withdraw into herself, becoming smaller. "CASEY! HI!" Hedwig's voice rang out loudly. "It's _so cool_ that you came to hang out!" His eyes dropped to Casey's hand in his own and he gasped, "Are you my girlfriend now?"

Smiling and chuckling, Casey gently released Hedwig's hand. "I'm a little too old to be your girlfriend, Hedwig. You're only nine."

"Uh huh, I knew that. You wanna see my room? I've got a sick CD player and a window and some mice and lots of cool stuff." Hedwig suddenly realized what he was wearing and blushed vividly. "Jaaaaaaade!" he whined, embarrassed. "I gotta change." he informed Casey quickly before darting back into the hallway. She could hear his scampering feet retreating in a flurry of motion, and she smiled to herself.

Casey took the opportunity to brush crumbs from the couch into the popcorn bowl, picking up any that she could see from the carpet below her. She took the bowl into the kitchen, dumped the remaining unpopped kernels into the trash, and gently began washing the bowl out at the sink. Maybe she could ease Dennis's concerns over the popcorn a bit if she cleaned up, she reasoned. It didn't seem like Jade was overly inclined to clean up after herself; she seemed to take extra pleasure in provoking the sterner alter.

"Okay, wanna see my room?" Hedwig called from the doorway, before vaulting over the couch to rejoin his friend. He was in a bright blue tracksuit, and seemed much more comfortable.

"Careful, Hedwig! You'll break your neck!" Casey's heart had skipped a beat while he was midair, but the boy cleared the furniture with ease. How strong did they keep themselves?

"Nah, I do that all the time. Come onnnn, Casey!" He tugged at her hand, and she allowed herself to be dragged back into the hallway. Hedwig stopped and opened a door that Dennis had failed to point out and Casey had failed to notice, revealing a room exploding with colors and toy animals. "You gotta stay here, but I'll bring you stuff to see." He drew an invisible line with his foot in the doorway that she was clearly not meant to cross.

"I can't come in your room?" Casey asked, confused.

"No way! Patricia says that bringing girls into bedrooms is how they get pregnant." Hedwig told her matter-of-factly. "Didn't they teach you nothin' at school?"

Casey laughed, shaking her head. "Okay, I'll stay here. I guess it's better to be safe than sorry." She shook her head at the innocence radiating from the boy, and her eyes scanned the room while he dug around, filling his arms with treasures to share.

The walls were covered in scrawled pictures of animals, shelves holding more animals both stuffed and plastic, posters, and, above his bed in the furthest corner, a few magazine clippings of various women's cleavage. Casey bit her lip, deciding not to comment on his choice of decoration over there. "Do the others get their own rooms too?" she asked instead.

"Nah, they said I get one because I'm the youngest and I need the space to grow. Look, this is my favoritest toy!" he held up a battered action figure. "And this is my snake. Betcha thought it was real, didn't you?" the plastic snake in his outstretched hand had googly eyes and was neon purple. He bounced back into his room, gesturing wildly to a crayon window above his CD player. "Closed… Open! Closed… open! Neat, huh?" he exclaimed, flipping the drawing up to reveal another window drawing, this one depicting a window that had been opened wide.

"Way cool." Casey said, smiling indulgently. She allowed him to point out a few more things, but a glance at the wild animal-themed clock above his bed showed that it was past 10:30. "Hedwig, I gotta start to get home. Sorry, buddy; I need some sleep before I go back to work tomorrow."

"Oh, okay! I'll walk you out. I know my way around here real good." Hedwig flipped off his light (a nightlight shaped like a roaring lion clicked on as the main light clicked off) and joined Casey in the hallway. He suddenly looked crestfallen, and the blue eyes that rose to meet her brown ones were swimming in tears. "Will you come back?"

Casey was startled by the sudden vulnerability. She rubbed his arm reassuringly as she told him, "Of course I will. If you all want me to, I'll come back."

Hedwig sniffled and pulled a crumpled tissue from his pocket, blowing his nose loudly. "Promise?"

"Yes, Hedwig, I promise. Why do you think I wouldn't come back?"

He bit his lip, faltering under her concerned gaze, then muttered, "Because people think we're freaks. No one ever comes back. No one ever comes to visit."

Her heart was breaking for the lonely child. How to assuage his fears? Casey reached into her back pocket and pulled out a small, old iPod, white earbuds wrapped tightly around its slender plastic body. She held it for a moment before offering it to the boy. "Here, take my music. That way you can enjoy it, and then I'll _have_ to come back to get it, right?"

Hedwig broke into a wide, watery grin. "Really?" he asked, and carefully took it from her when she nodded. "I promise I won't break it. An' I'll listen to it every day." He placed it on his dresser with an ease that was almost reverent.

She smiled at him. "Okay, Hedwig." She reached out and gave his broad shoulder a squeeze. "Now, I really have to be going."

"Right! I'll lead you. Do you know where Mr. Dennis put the keys?"

"I've got them right here in my pocket. Will you lose them if I give them to you once we're out?"

Hedwig shook his head seriously, then grabbed her hand and tugged her back the way she had initially entered. Soon enough, a cool night breeze was playing with her long dark hair, and the leaves on the trees were rustling gently, whispering their secrets to the long shadows stretched across the sidewalk. The boy babbled happily about his favorite animals at the zoo, and how Mr. Dennis kept everything in order.

Once they had reached the gates and stepped through, Casey pulled out her phone and summoned a Lyft, deciding that it was too late to try to walk home. She also sent a quick text to Marcia letting her know that she was alive and heading home and would talk to her tomorrow; she didn't feel like fielding any of the questions that Marcia would surely begin volleying at her.

The chattering boy had fallen silent, and he straightened up a bit. Barry stood in his place, regarding her with his head tilted. "Hey, babygirl. Have fun?" he asked her warmly.

Casey's eyes found his in the light shining down on the pair from the nearby streetlight, and she smiled up at him. "I had a great time. Thank you. Here's the keys… My ride will be here in a few minutes."

Barry reached out, presumably for the keys, but instead reached past her outstretched hand, placing his large hand on her small waist, and pulled her close to him. He was aware of how well her small frame fit against his larger one, and he reached out with his other hand to gently brush his fingers across the soft skin of her cheek. Her lips parted slightly at his touch, eyelids fluttering shut as she leaned her head into the warmth of his slight touch. Barry leaned forward slowly, and placed his warm mouth against her soft, full lips.

She leaned into the kiss now, losing herself in the moment in a way that she had never thought herself capable of doing, tentatively placing her hands on his upper arms. Barry deepened the kiss in response, his tongue flitting inquisitively around her own. His arms tightened around her, and they were lost in the moment together.

After what felt like either no time at all or an eternity, they pulled apart slightly, remaining in each other's arms. There were small patches of colors high on Casey's cheek, and her heart felt like it would slam out of her chest. Barry's pupils were blown wide, and he leaned down slightly to rest his forehead against hers.

They were standing entwined like that when headlights splashed over them; Casey's Lyft was pulling up. "Keys." She whispered softly, and pressed the overloaded ring into his hand. She turned to greet the car, but Barry held her a moment longer, pressing another quick kiss to her soft lips, needing another taste of her sweetness before she was whisked away from him.

Casey smiled at the man holding her, the first man she had trusted in years, and said, not without regret, "I have to go."

"I know, doll. Have a good night." He brushed a stray piece of hair from her face, his hand lingering on her cheek for another moment, studying her face, before he released her.

The girl got into the patiently waiting car, and she turned once more to catch his eyes, smile, and wave to him. Barry stood watching until the taillights had disappeared from view, and then turned to let himself back into his apartment, still smelling her gently floral perfume on the air, and the enjoying lingering feel of her lips against his own.


	6. Dinner Guest

Chapter 6: Dinner Guest

"Hello?"

"Dr. Fletcher?" A woman's voice on the line, calm and cultured.

"Yes, how may I help you?"

"My name is Dr. Ellie Staple. I'm a psychologist… I've done some studies on individuals with, ah, _unique_ qualities, and I've recently been shown some of your work. I was hoping we could meet up for coffee."

A pause. "How did you get my personal cell number?"

"Right, sorry about that. I can be a little forward when something interests me… a friend of mine had your number from another colleague, a Dr. Clerque, and was able to pass it on to me."

"Ah… well, I would need to check my schedule. May I give you a call back?"

"Of course." Dr. Staple carefully relayed her contact information into the phone. She made a few notes in the slowly growing file labeled "K. W. Crumb". A picture, taken in high resolution, showing Barry, who was smiling and leaning casually on a chain linked fence, was studied for a moment before being placed carefully into the folder.

...

Casey Cooke sat in an overstuffed green easy chair, feeling exhausted. She hadn't been able to sleep after leaving the zoo; every time that she closed her eyes, visions of Barry's big, blue eyes danced in her mind, and the warm memory of his lips against hers… Now, after a day of work that felt like it had drifted past her like a cloud, she was at the Benoit residence. As promised, she had agreed to hang out with Claire and Marcia, and they were picking her brain relentlessly.

The exchange of information was made more difficult by Casey's decision to continue to blend all of the people she had spent the previous evening with into one entity, Kevin. She selected each detail carefully, trying not to make Kevin sound like a madman, and feeling distinctly ashamed of herself for reducing such an interesting man into someone who sounded basically average. Casey still couldn't bring herself to tell her friends about the many personalities; it would only bring more questions, and Casey wasn't sure she'd be able to explain her bond with Barry, Jade, Hedwig, and even Dennis to Claire or Marcia.

So, here she was, trying not to get exasperated by the increasingly personal questions that the other girls kept asking her.

"He has his own place _under_ the zoo? How?" Claire asked, intrigued.

"Some work arrangement that he figured out with his boss. He's head of maintenance." Casey responded.

"He didn't… try anything… while you were watching the movie?" Marcia inquired, watching Casey's bemused expression.

"No, we just ate popcorn and watched the movie. Then he walked me out, I caught a Lyft, and went home."

Claire tilted her head, eyes narrowing as she studied Casey. "And he didn't kiss you good night?"

Casey flushed immediately, and the flush grew bolder as her two friends squealed with delight.

"Oh my god, Casey Cooke kissed a boy, and she liked it!" Claire exclaimed, smiling hugely at Casey.

Marcia's smile faded a fraction, and she asked in a more normal voice, "Hey, Case, isn't he like… decently older than you?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Casey replied firmly, "Yeah, he's like ten years older than me. And?"

Before Marcia could respond, Claire broke in. "So, what? I haven't dated guys my age since tenth grade. There's something to be said for a little more experience, right, Casey?" Claire's eyebrows rose, full of suggestion.

Casey 's blush darkened further, and she could feel the heat on her cheeks. "Wouldn't know about that, Claire. We just get along fine, and it doesn't feel like there's a big difference."

"You mean you wouldn't know about that _yet_." Claire insisted, smiling jovially at the now entirely red faced Casey.

Taking pity on their clearly uncomfortable friend, Marcia eased the conversation away from Casey's personal life. With their focus off of her, Casey checked her phone. Warmth bubbled into her chest when she saw the messages waiting for her.

[Hey doll, we loved having you over yesterday -B]

[Best. Movie. Ever. – J]

[What's your schedule look like? Care to join us hooligans again? –B]

Casey texted back, making plans for dinner later in the week. It was nice to look forward to being with someone, to not just plan to go home to her small empty house, waiting for the next day to begin.

...

"Well, hello, Barry! You're in good spirits!" Dr. Fletcher smiled warmly at the radiant alter after he had kissed her cheek in greeting. She stepped aside, letting him in to her office.

He made his way to his preferred chair, and favored her with a wide grin. "Things are great, Dr. Fletcher. I can't complain."

"Everything is going well at home?"

Barry considered for a moment. "Jade and Dennis had it out; she'd been hiding popcorn around the apartment and he declared a jihad on it. He threw it all out, and she's been sulking a bit since then, but otherwise things have been great." In his mind, he saw Dennis holding the light, impervious to Jade's attempt to snag it back from him. The serious alter was the biggest and strongest of them all, and didn't flinch when Jade had tried to claw back the light when it became apparent that her yells were falling on deaf ears.

"Did you have to intervene?" Dr. Fletcher asked, raising an eyebrow in concern.

He shook his head. "Nah, not over something like that. Casey cleaned up the popcorn the last time it was out, but you know that Jade never will. If she can't be bothered, she doesn't need to have it."

A shocked look passed over the doctor's face for just a moment before she returned to her usual, friendly expression. "Casey cleaned up the popcorn? Were you at a theater?"

"No… no. We've been seeing more of each other." Barry fiddled with his sketches, unable to look at the older woman in case she had a look of disapproval weighing down her normally light expression.

"_How_ much more have you been seeing of each other?" she pried. She hadn't been able to take Hedwig to the aquarium in a while – she had been attending conferences, and her patient load had increased. It had occurred to her that her usually outspoken patient had been surprisingly fine with her apologetic call to postpone the visits, but her work had swept the thought from her mind.

Barry had been fidgeting, but now he straightened. His shoulders rolled back, settling in a tall, squared position. His legs uncrossed. He placed a pair of glasses on his suddenly stern face. Finally, Dennis crossed his arms, regarding the doctor with his unreadable blue eyes.

"Hello, Dennis."

"How are you, Dr. Fletcher?" he replied evenly. Everything that this personality did was even and balanced, firm and immovable.

"Did Barry ask you to take over?" she asked him.

Dennis gave his head a small shake. "He was uncomfortable. So I took over."

"I wish you'd let me talk to Barry, Dennis. You each should be able to operate without interrupting each other, and it's not fair of Barry to drag you out because he wants to avoid an uncomfortable moment. We've talked about this – it's a step on the path towards sleeping like Kevin, and we wouldn't want that."

His attention had turned to the chocolate bowl beside him, out of place as always, but his eyes snapped back to hers at the mention of Kevin's name. "We all meet with Casey. The others are nervous that you'll tell us to stop. So I'm here to face you." His voice was practically monotonous, and Dr. Fletcher knew that his defenses were up.

She brought a hand up to rest her chin on it, studying the alter sitting across from her. He merely looked back stoically, waiting for her next move. "Alright, Dennis," she sighed, "then you tell me: how long have you all been seeing Casey? How often?"

"It's been about three weeks. We see her every couple of days. We do a lot of different things, and she's getting to meet all of us. Sometimes she goes to the park with Hedwig, or she's been to the museum with Orwell, the movies with Luke; stuff like that. She's come over to watch stuff with Jade a couple times – I had to remove the popcorn."

"What about the others?" Dr. Fletcher pressed.

"She spends the most time with Barry. They're… becoming a thing."

Dr. Fletcher hesitated before pressing further. "And what about you, Dennis? How do her visits go with you?" Her face looked friendly, but he could see how sharp her eyes were, prying into him.

He ran a hand over his head – a small display of discomfort – then squared his jaw and replied. "I stay back. I'm bein' good, doctor."

"Does she know about your… proclivities…? Or your beliefs?" she continued, eyes boring into his own.

"No." The word fell in the room like a stone. "I'm bein' good." He repeated robotically. "She means a lot to us."

She leaned back in her chair, taking a moment to think. "Is she safe around you?"

Dennis snorted derisively. "Around us, or around me?" He paused a moment to let his statement wash over the woman before continuing, "She's safe. I've barely seen her." This was mostly true. Dennis emerged to walk her into the zoo each of the next three times that Casey had come over, each time handing her the keys, but otherwise had stayed in the background. Barry always gave her an increasingly lingering kiss before she left, and they had begun kissing when they greeted each other, and he would walk arm in arm with her, or an arm around her waist, always wanting to touch the younger woman but never pressing… Dennis envied the self control. Dennis couldn't resist watching, yearning to feel her soft warmth.

But he was being good.

"Well, thank you for sharing." Dr. Fletcher said.

He blinked at her, and raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

The doctor nodded. "Unless there's anything else you think that you should add? You're all… except for Hedwig, of course… adults. And of course, if you ever have questions, or feelings to discuss, you all know my number."

He allowed himself a small sigh of relief. He had been prepared for horror that they would attempt to see someone romantically, braced to receive ridicule, and had been met with none of that. Dr. Fletcher always surprised and believed in them; it was something that they loved about her. If they had searched for a maternal replacement they may have found it in her, but one mother had been more than enough.

Dr. Fletcher cleared her throat gently before smiling at Dennis. "While I've got you… tell me, Dennis, do you still have strong beliefs?"

Dennis was motionless for a moment; it seemed that everything had stopped, right down to his pulse. "I do." He began, slowly. "I believe in the beast, but he's not needed, not right now. Casey believes in us… you should see her, Dr. Fletcher. She doesn't treat us like monsters; we are incredible to her. The beast is for when no one believes us. When we're threatened by something that I can't handle."

She had been taking small notes as he spoke, and the doctor noticed that he was breathing harder when he finished speaking. "Dennis, I'll ask you again: is Casey safe with you?"

He met her eyes, unwavering. "Yes."

...

[Would you like to come over for dinner?] Casey texted Barry. She was proud of herself, and incredibly nervous. She had never invited anyone in – not even Marcia.

The answer was immediate. [At your house? I'm honored. Of course. See you at 7? – B.]

She confirmed the time, and immediately set about straightening up her house… not that there was much. She had a few things, had hung up a few posters and photos to make the place her own. This was her place, and everything in it had never been blighted by her uncle's presence. It was all new, without a memory of pain and disappointment. Casey hoped that letting Barry and the others into her house would be the first step towards creating walls that would have happy stories to tell.

Right now, if her walls could talk, they would have nothing to say.

At seven o'clock, the doorbell rang, and she answered the door, her heart in her throat. Barry stood there, holding a small bouquet and a bottle of red wine. Before handing either to Casey, he leaned forward and planted a firm kiss on her lips, and her mind whirled. She was being kissed in her doorway, something that happened to a million other people daily, but had never happened to her. Did he know how special his attention made her feel?

She sighed as they parted, and collected the wine from him. "Let me get a vase for those… you can put your shoes there… and the coat closet is here…" Barry shrugged out of his light jacket, switching which hand held the bright flowers to do so.

They were in a small hallway. Behind her were stairs that would lead to her bedroom and the upstairs bathroom; on this floor were several doorways that lead to the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and a small study that would have also served as a guest room if she'd ever had anyone to stay over. As she pointed these rooms out with quick gestures, she was quietly thankful that Barry chose not to comment over the bedroom. They hadn't progressed beyond deep kisses, with his hands tangling into her hair (_hadn't progressed yet_, she could almost hear Claire smirking), and he seemed to have picked up on her nervousness regarding anything physical without her having to stammer through a half-hearted explanation.

Casey led him to the kitchen, where she had set the dining table with a candle and plates heaped up with what she desperately hoped would be edible pasta and meatballs. She retrieved a vase and put the flowers in, putting them on the counter where they added warmth to the room.

"Smells divine, doll." Barry whispered into her ear, his breath warm. He was behind her, and his hands were on her waist, squeezing gently. She turned her head to thank him, and his mouth was on hers. She twisted in his grasp, turning to fully face him, kissing him back with an abandon that she didn't know she had. Was that his heart pounding hard enough for her to feel it, or was hers jack hammering like that?

The kiss broke, and they stood there, gasping slightly for breath, twin flushes warming their cheeks. "We shouldn't let it get cold…" she managed to say, not wanting to leave his arms, but vaguely remembering that he had come over for dinner.

They ate, chatting amiably between bites. Barry poured each of them a generous cup of wine (to his amusement, she had a cupboard nearly full of mismatched coffee mugs, so his wine was in a cup that displayed the cracked liberty bell, while Casey sipped from a dark blue mug adorned with stars), and they had been enjoying the whole ensemble.

"Hey, hon, if I can ask… how do you afford this place?" Barry asked her, finally freeing the question that had been bouncing around the chairs that surrounded the light.

Casey froze, dropping her eyes from his as she did when she was uncomfortable. She spoke quietly, addressing her plate. "When my uncle… died… I sold everything, and used the money to buy this place."

"Oh, Casey, I'm so sorry…" He reached for her shoulder, but she flinched when he touched her. Barry hesitated, starting to withdraw his hand, but she reached up and caught it, her brown eyes finding his again as she pulled herself out of her dark memories.

"Don't be." She whispered.

Barry drew her hand to his side of the table, placing a small kiss on her knuckles. It occurred to him, not for the first time, that he knew so much and somehow also so little about the object of his affections. She became vague when it came to her family (of which she apparently had none), but was happy to talk about interests and hopes. He could have recited, if asked to do so, her favorite flower, color, painter, writer, and season; but he would've been unable to supply her father's name, or what town she had grown up in.

…_I can clean up._ Dennis's calm voice echoed in the back of Barry's skull. _Besides, you know that I have to be here for…later._

He bit his lip, thinking, before he said to Casey, "Dennis wants to help clean up."

Casey smiled then, her eyes twinkling. "He must be horrified by my kitchen."

Dennis straightened up in the chair, seeming to take up more space somehow, and released her hand, which Barry had still been holding. "No, I'm not." He put his glasses on and glanced around, making notes of which paintings were not perfectly straight on the wall, the drawer that was slightly ajar, spices that didn't appear to be lined up alphabetically. "I've seen worse."

Her smile was small, but genuine. "Thanks… I think."

He turned his cold blue eyes to her, but they didn't seem _as_ cold as usual. Just… guarded. "I wanted to thank you for giving Hedwig your music a few weeks ago… and also wanted to ask you to take it back."

Eyebrows rising, Casey asked, "Why?"

Dennis sighed, closed his eyes, removed his glasses, and suddenly Hedwig burst forward onto his features, yelling, "MY ANACONDA DON'T WANT NONE UNLESS YOU'VE GOT _BUNS_, HON!"

Just as quickly, Hedwig was gone, and Dennis was back, regarding Casey with his usual even stare. "He discovered that…song… and has been repeating it." A sigh. "Nonstop." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Loudly."

She stared for a minute, then began to laugh. Her shoulders shaking, she leaned back in her chair, laughing harder at the look of mild amusement on the man's face. It took several moments to get a hold of herself; whenever she looked at Dennis's calm face, his raised eyebrow, she would see Hedwig's jubilant face bursting forward, singing the old Sir Mix-A-Lot song. Still snickering, she croaked, "Sorry… sorry for laughing… but that was so… oh god." She began to laugh again.

Inclining his head in a small nod, Dennis stood and collected the dishes, taking them to her sink and beginning to wash them. She stepped beside him, close beside him, elbows nearly brushing, and she took the dish that he had just finished and began to dry it. Dennis focused on the act of cleaning, trying to ignore the warmth radiating off of her.

When the dishes were through, he sat down at the table again, and regarded her with his turbulent blue eyes.

Casey reclaimed her spot across from him, watching him curiously. He had acquired a slightly distant look, one she associated with an internal conversation among the personalities. The best thing to do was to wait until they were through, so she did.

After what felt like ages, the clock ticking hollowly above them on the wall, Dennis refocused on her. "I think that you're hiding something."

Her eyes widened, and her breath caught. She opened her mouth, not sure what would come out, but Dennis raised a hand, silencing her.

"I'm not asking you what it is…tonight. I will ask you, later. When it seems right. You make us happy, and we hope that we make you happy as well; I won't tinker with that by asking you to show me your demons." He winced. "Barry is unhappy with me saying any of this to you."

_Leave her ALONE, Dennis! _Barry was yelling, unable to budge the alter from the light.

"I… understand." Casey said softly. There was no arguing with his controlled voice. Besides, hadn't she known deep down that they would want to know her at some point? Maybe when Dennis eventually asked she'd even be able to answer.

He nodded, then ran a hand over his head. "That's not what we wanted to talk to you about though… There's someone that we want you to meet."

"Okay."

Dennis removed his glasses, but before he did, he sent her a look that was almost… vulnerable. Then he went still.

The body across the table from Casey slouched a little; the strong alter was gone. He leaned forward with his forearms onto the table, hands clenched into fists, his head down, eyes clenched shut. He was shaking, shivering violently.

She slowly rose from the table and approached him, and he jumped when she touched his shoulder. His eyes opened and met hers, full of misery and caution. He let out a shaky breath. "Hello." he whispered, watching her warily.

"Hi there… I'm Casey. Who are you?" She asked in a low, voice, trying to sound as friendly as possible.

His head bowed for a moment, as if he was mustering up the energy to respond. His shaking had subsided, but he still had an air of misery around him.

"I'm Kevin."


End file.
